


Baby Durin Drabbles

by NowThatsDedication



Series: Young Durins [1]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Baby Durins, dwarfling mischief, fluffy cuteness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-04-07 21:26:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4278498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NowThatsDedication/pseuds/NowThatsDedication
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of young Fíli and Kíli stories. Because it's cute, that's why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Sticky Situation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by an imagine from Imaginexhobbit: toddler Fili trying to play at sword fighting with his baby brother even though he’s too young

Fíli was determined to be the best fighter there ever was. At six years old these were big, but not impossible, dreams. And the only way to accomplish this was with practice.

"Practice," his mother told him many times, "is how we make things perfect...or as close as we can get." She would impart this encouragement to Fíli as he scribbled his runes. Learning to write was dull and not very important, Fíli thought. Being a great warrior was much more exciting. So he would have to practice. But how?

There were no children his age or size nearby to spar with. That only left...Kíli! Sure, he was a baby and couldn't do much beside crawl and cry and babble words that didn't make sense. But if anyone could teach him to play, it was Fíli.

Fíli bounded into the nursery and poked his head over the cradle. "Kíli, my favorite little brother! Would you like to help train me?"

Kíli, who was slobbering on his balled up fists, cocked his dark head to the side.

"Feeee! Feeeeeee!"

"That means yes," Fíli decided. It also meant "Fíli" and "No" and "hungry," probably. A very eager big brother lifted the baby out of his bed and carried him into his room.

"Broooobahbah," Kíli cooed.

"I'm not sure what that means," Fíli responded, "but here." He handed Kíli a wooden sword, the smallest one he possessed (and Fíli had amassed quite a collection of toy weapons so far).

Kíli's fat little fingers could barely grip it. "Hold it like this," Fíli demonstrated. But Kíli only stared back, his brown eyes wide with wonder.

"See? Look." Fíli curled Kíli's hand around the hilt but he kept releasing his grip around it.

"Come on, Kíli, it's not that hard!"

"Mmmmm nnhhhmm," Kíli squirmed. He sunk his mouth down on the wood, leaving a small stream of spit trailing down.

"Ewww, you're not supposed to EAT it!"

Kíli was probably not the best sparring partner but Fíli was not going to give up. He had an idea - a brilliant one.

"Stay here," he ordered, as Kíli happily chomped away on the sword.

His mother was in the kitchen, but she didn't think anything of Fíli pulling a jar off the shelf. It didn't raise too much suspicion.

"What are you doing, dear?"

"I just want something to eat," he fibbed.

"Alright, but not too much. You don't want to spoil your supper."

"I won't, Mama."

"Feeeeee!" Kíli gurgled with merriment when his brother returned.

Fíli removed the lid off the honey jar. It was nice and sticky - this would work. He dunked the sword into the jar, then affixed it to Kíli's hand.

"Gahhhhbbbbb!"

It seemed to do the trick. Kíli was now wielding the weapon with the help of a little honey and Fíli's quick thinking.

"Great! Now we can start!" Fíli raised his own sword, ready to hone his skills and become the greatest dwarf fighter in Middle Earth.

"No, Kíli!"

Kíli discovered the honey, oh did he ever. Now his other hand was stuck on the sword as he reached his mouth over to the sticky mess.

"Goooooggbahhhh!" He squealed, the honey smearing all over his face. In his excitement, he knocked over the jar, sending a slow ooze of gold spreading across the floor.

"Nooo! Stop!"

But little Kíli had rolled backwards, right into the gooey puddle. His squeals of delight, and Fíli's protests, were making quite the racket.

"What in the world?" Their father stood in the doorway. His eyes darted back and forth between the both of them.

"Please don't be angry! I was only trying to play swords with Kíli."

"I'm not angry! This is the funniest thing I've seen, well, since yesterday!"

How could Fíli have already forgotten the mischief from yesterday? There was still mud splatters on the wall from it.

"Dís, come here. Look at what our boys did." He doubled over in laughter, trying to catch his breath.

"What now? I thought they were playing nicely."

"Oh, they were. But..."

"Fíli, why is that sword stuck to your brother, and why is there - my honey!"She rushed over and picked up Kíli, who was rolling around like a piglet in a mudpit.

Dís sighed and shook her head. "I give up with all of you...children," she glared at her husband. Annoyed as she was, she couldn't help but laugh. In fact, they were all laughing except Fíli.

"Am...am I in trouble?" He bowed his blond head down, expecting the worse. "I just want to be a really good fighter, that's all. It was Kíli's fault, he doesn't listen."

"Now Fíli, there will be plenty of time to play when he's older," his father reassured him. "But until then, you're going to have to settle for sparring with me."

"Really!?"

"Of course, son. We can start right now-"

"After this is cleaned up," Dís interrupted.

Fíli and his father both groaned, staring at the mess around them. But the prospect of actual sword lessons brightened Fíli's spirits.

"Then you can fight until your heart's content. Now I need to give Kíli a bath," Dís announced as she pulled at the globs of honey in his hair.

"Feeeeeeee!"

He would probably love a bath, too. Everything was fun when you were a baby - and to Kíli, especially.

Sometimes things didn't go according to Fíli's plans. Sometimes they went better than expected.


	2. Bedtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little Fíli and Kíli hear a bedtime story from their father. Cuteness ensues.

"How long is Da going away for?"

"Not long, dear." Dís carefully twisted her son's golden hair into two neat braids on each side of his worried face.

"Longer than a day?"

"Yes, Fíli, but he will be back before you know it." Her younger son had now climbed up the side of the bed in determination and crawled over to his brother. "Kíli, you have your own bed, my love."

"No, big bed!"

"It's fine. He doesn't kick as much anymore. He can stay," Fíli conceded.

"Hi!" Kíli waved furiously in Fíli's face with both hands.

"Sweet little Kíli, may I braid your hair too?" Dís questioned with misplaced hope.

"NO!" He grabbed the top of his head for dear life.

"So strong willed, my baby!"

Fíli giggled; he knew better than to touch Kíli's hair. Any attempt would be met with fierce little teeth. He learned this the hard way.

"Can Da tell us a story?" Fíli pleaded.

"As soon as he's finished speaking to your uncle..."

At just the right moment, the boys' father poked his head into the room. "Did I hear a request?"

"Yes, please!"

"Pleeeeeeease!" 

"I will leave you boys to it, then." Dís gave each son a kiss on the forehead. Kíli promptly wiped his away. "Oh, you!" She tickled him under his chin until he squealed.

Dís gave one more kiss to her husband as she passed him. "They stayed up for you, but they should really be asleep by now."

"I'll tire them out, don't worry," he winked.

"Goodnight, my darlings."

"Goodnight, Mama!" They cried back.

"Now, who wants to hear a story?"

"We do!"

Their father's stories were the best, even if they had dubious veracity. Uncle's stories were serious, usually about a big mountain he used to live in, and often ended with "and that's what happens to little dwarves who don't behave." But Da told tales about his giant pet eagle ("I can't show you him, he flew away on me") how he defeated a troll with only a pocket knife ("You can try when you're older, Fíli") and when he swam across the entire sea ("Why? Well, I just felt like taking a little swim!").

"Tell one about dragons. Or ghosts," Fíli liked to test his courage, even with bedtime stories.

"Errr, I don't want to scare little Kíli. Next time, son." He ruffled Fíli's hair, messing up those neat braids. "How about...did I ever tell you the one about the dwarf and the elf?"

"No, tell us, tell us!"

"Elfs," Kíli repeated, for no other reason than he liked the sound of the word.

"Alright," he rubbed his hands together and quickly thought of something on the fly. He had exhausted every story he knew ten times over with this nightly ritual. And they demanded new tales, all the time. Might as well give them a moral this time.

"There once was a dwarf and an elf. And the dwarf-"

"What did he look like?" Fíli asked.

"Oh, he had a great big beard and carried five axes."

Fíli's eyes widened. "What kind?"

"Double-edged."

Satisfied with that answer, Fíli settled his head back onto his pillow with a dreamy look.

"And the dwarf and the elf were preparing for winter."

"What's winter?" Kíli twisted his face in puzzlement.

"When it's cold," answered Fíli, "and there's snow."

"Ohhh," Kíli tried to remember the last time he saw winter. "I like snow."

"The dwarf stocked up on food and blankets and ale and everything one needs to prepare for such weather. The elf thought he could get everything later and could go hunt in a blizzard."

"Bizzzzard," said Kíli. 

"And he laughed at the dwarf for being prepared! So winter comes around and it was a bad one."

"How bad?" Fíli demanded the details, always.

"Uh, the snow was higher than a horse! But the dwarf was safe in his mountain and had everything he needed. The elf, on the other hand, went looking for supplies. Because he thought he was stronger than nature. But he underestimated it."

Kíli, who had been burrowing under the blankets like a frenzied rodent, grabbed Fíli's foot. "You haves as many toes as me!"

"Good job at counting...but that tickles!" Fíli squirmed away, annoyed but accustomed to such acts of little brother mischief.

"Anyway, when the snow thawed, the dwarf left the mountain and he found that elf frozen solid."

"Did he hit him with his axe?" Fíli needed more excitement in this tale.

"What? No! We should pity the elf for not listening and thinking he was better than everyone else."

"Have you seen elfs?" Kíli asked.

"Yep, son. I have."

"Did you hit them with your axe?"

"My beard, Fíli! You are a bloodthirsty little thing. We only do that in self-defense, remember?"

"But then what did you do?"

"Nothing."

"Did Uncle hit them with an axe?"

"No, well, maybe he did. I don't know. Back to the story, now. The dwarf had the satisfaction of knowing he was right. So the lesson is-"

"A lesson?" Fíli interrupted in disgust. "Like when we have to learn boring things?"

"I don't like that," Kíli echoed.

"Naw, it ain't that kind of lesson! I'm telling you to always be prepared for anything."

"And don't trust elves." Fíli added.

"Yes, you are very right! See, look at all you learned tonight!"

"Was there a cow?" Kíli asked, bouncing with excitement.

"Why would there be a cow, son?"

"I like the cow," Kíli answered seriously. He said the most ridiculous things.

"Sure, there was a cow."

Kíli clapped in approval, then yawned. Not even the addition of a cow could hold his interest much longer.

Fíli nudged him. "Don't fall asleep yet, Kíli! We need to find out the end!"

"The end? Right, how does it end...how...ah, well the dwarf went back to the mountain and mined 100,000 of the finest gems ever seen."

"What color were they?" Fíli covered his mouth to hide his own yawn.

"All colors."

"What size?"

"Big ones."

"What-"

"Son, you are quite sly with your questions, trying to stay up as late as possible," he chuckled.

Caught, Fíli attempted to play innocent. "I was just wondering, that's all!"

"Your brother's already sound asleep. I think it's about time for you, too." Kíli was curled into a little ball, expelling muffled snores into Fíli's shoulder. His feet were already twitching, ready to kick at whatever visited him in his dreams. "I'll carry him back to his own bed-"

"No, no! If you move him away he'll cry."

"Very well. What a good brother you are." He lifted the blanket to cover them and brushed Kíli's hair away from his face, an action far less risky when Kíli was asleep.

"I'll already be gone when you wake, so I'm asking you now to mind your mother and keep an eye on your brother and be a good lad."

"I will! Can you tell us more stories when you get back?"

"Of course I will. I'll tell you about what I saw."

"All about it! And maybe...maybe you'll have presents for us?"

"I think I might have room to carry one or two back."

Fíli smiled at the prospect of more stories and presents and telling his father how responsible he had been.

"Goodnight, Fíli! May your dreams be filled with sharp pointy things, my little fighter!"

"Goodnight!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to add this to the end of the actual chapter, but I didn't want to spoil the moment...this was the last time they saw their father. Sorry.


	3. Holding Down the Fort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fíli and Kíli build a fort; Fíli gets quite a scare.

"It doesn't look like a fort!" Kíli pouted. He huffed and crossed his arms in front of the fort in question, constructed with enthusiasm and precision by his big brother (and with a little help from Kíli).

"It's not DONE yet!" Fíli stomped his foot. He would not take criticism, not for what he worked so hard on. "Use your imagination!"

"But I don't have imaginashums," Kíli shot back.

"I know."

What started as a simple fort made of a blanket and two chairs had grown so large that it now snaked around the corridors. Fíli was not satisfied, not yet. Not until every blanket, chair, sheet, cloak, sack, stool, coat rack, crate, chest, and beam of wood had been "borrowed" and utilized for this grand feat of engineering. It was a magnificent attestation to a young dwarf's ingenuity.

They had even rummaged through the trash, finding a few useful items like a pair of old trousers surely no one would miss. "Kíli, please don't eat anything you find in the rubbish pile." It was a necessary warning, believe it or not.

"It's our secret and no one else is allowed in," Fíli reminded his brother, who had a very big mouth, not just prone to discarded, half-eaten food but to spilling confidential information as well.

"We can stay in here all day and no one will bother us. And when it gets dark-"

"Dark?" Kíli froze. "I don't want to go in if it's dark!"

"I'll let a little bit of light in, don't be a baby."

"I'm not a baby!"

"Let's go inside and I'll show you it isn't scary." He lifted a flap of what had once been a dress and crawled inside.

"I don't like it!"

"Why not?"

"Monsters."

"There's no monsters in here!"

"They might be hiding."

"Fine, I'll get my sword so I can protect you," he sighed, "will that make you happy?"

Kíli nodded. "I guess so."

"Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back."

Fíli begrudgingly retrieved a trusted weapon from his room. The things he did in the name of brotherhood.

When he returned, no more than a couple of minutes later, Kíli was nowhere to be found.

"Kíli?"

He peaked inside the fort. Not a sight or sound of him. And silence was not an attribute of Kíli's. Maybe he was hiding in the back. But wasn't he afraid to step foot inside? Fíli searched anyway; Kíli could be playing a prank, waiting to pounce out at any moment.

"Kíli! enough of your games, where are you?"

He couldn't have gone far. Fíli began to search all the usual places. Every corner, every hidden nook. Inside, outside, under bushes, up trees, in cupboards, beneath the beds. Even places he didn't think Kíli could fit into. No trace of him. Not a footprint or scrap of clothing or sticky handprint. No half-stifled giggles to signal that he was watching from afar and enjoying his brother's frantic search. He had simply vanished.

Fíli began to wonder if there was in fact a monster lurking in his fort, one that snatched Kíli away. Maybe he should have listened to his concerns. No, that wasn't possible. But then where was Kíli? He looked everywhere. Fíli felt a shortness of breath, a tug in his heart.

He would be in big trouble. The biggest trouble. What was the punishment for misplacing your little brother? And how could he live with himself? Fíli returned to his fort, which didn't seem so important anymore. He slumped down in front of it, the twisting feeling in his stomach growing stronger.

Kíli was his brother and his best friend and he lost him. And it was all his fault. Panic rose in his chest. Now it was only Fíli and his mother left - she would be so disappointed in him! Tears trickled down his cheek, against his will, and there was little he could do to stop them. No! He was too old to cry, too...

"Fíli! Fíli, what is the matter?! Are you hurt?" Dís practically flew to him, knelt down and stroked his hair while he cried into his sleeve. She examined him for visible signs of distress. He seemed to be in one piece, physically at least.

"What is wrong, my darling?"

"I...I think...I...Mama, I lost Kíli! I can't find him anywhere!" He sniffled and sputtered, almost hysterical.

"Oh, you poor thing! Don't worry, don't worry! Kíli was with me the whole time."

Kíli heard his name and jumped out from behind the door his mother had just entered from. "What happened, Fíli?"

Fíli sighed in relief, then clenched his fists. He didn't know if he wanted to hug or shove Kíli. "Where were you?! I searched everywhere for you! All afternoon!"

"I got tired of making the fort. So I left."

"Kíli, did you run off on your brother without telling him? You need to apologize. He was very upset."

Fíli wiped his eyes and Dís wrapped him in a much needed hug. "I wasn't crying, I wasn't!"

"It's alright if you do," she whispered to him.

"I'm sorry." Kíli shuffled his feet, now regretful for his disappearing act. "I didn't mean to make you sad."

"You just scared me a little, that's all." Fíli downplayed the fear he felt in those hopeless moments.

Satisfied with the reconciliation, Dís turned her attention to cheering both of them up.

"Now, let me see this...fort?...you made. Can you show me?"

"I made it too, mama!" Kíli was going to get credit for his small contribution, one way or another.

"I'm very impressed, my little builders!"

"Here's the door," Fíli displayed proudly. "And this is the moat," he pointed to a few pots and pans filled with water. "If you come inside, I'll show you the rest."

"I would love to!" Dís followed her boys into the fort, all three on their hands and knees, with little concern whether her skirts got dirty.

"There's just one rule," Fíli glanced over his shoulder, just in case. "You can't tell anyone else. It's a secret."

"Oh, you can trust me," Dís sweared. "Not a word!"


	4. Nothing but the Tooth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli loses a tooth, Fíli gains his revenge.

"If you want to be the dragon, you have to stay dead when I hit you!"

"I can play however I want." Kíli stuck his tongue out in defiance. "I'm the dragon and I don't die until...ten hits!"

"You can't make up the rules as you go!"

"Yes I CAN!"

He may have been Fíli’s little brother and best friend, but Kíli could also be a terror. In only the past week, he had broken three of Fíli’s toy swords, poured ice water down his back, and nearly chopped off his braid. “It was an accident!" Which it was, but he had an awful lot of accidents. They tested Fíli’s solid patience.

"No you CAN'T" Kíli stomped his foot. "I can do whatever I-" he stopped, crossed his eyes and swirled his mouth around until he spat something into his palm.

"My...my tooth!" He shrieked.

Fíli peered over. "Uh huh, that's what it is.”

"Wha-what...why did...my tooth!"

Fíli could have explained it was a baby tooth, that it was supposed to fall out and was completely normal. But it would be much more fun to get back at Kíli for being a brat.

"Oh, this isn't good,” he shook his head gravely.

"What? What is it!?"

Fíli pressed his lips together to hold back a giggle. One smile and it would be over - Kíli might catch on. This was a serious matter, he reminded himself. He could laugh later.

"Some dwarves are very unlucky and they...fall apart."

"Fall apart?!"

"Yes, it starts with a few teeth, then toes, fingers, ears, arms...you might keep your hair, but-"

"Nooo!" Kíli clutched his ears.

"It's alright! I know of a cure. But you have to listen to everything I say, or it won't work.

Kíli nodded frantically, "Anything!"

"And don't tell mama about the tooth. We don't want to worry her."

"I won't let her see." He thought of how to conceal the gap he could feel with his tongue.

"We have to hurry! Follow me!"

****

Fíli made his brother stay in their room (“you may be contagious!”) while he raided the pantry, mixing a horrifying concoction into a bowl. He grabbed everything he could reach off the shelves, not entirely sure if it was all edible, and poured it in with glee. If it tasted as bad as it smelled, Fíli was in for an amusing sight.

"You have to drink this whole thing." It was bubbling, thick and putrid, with unidentified lumps floating to the surface.

"Disgusting! What is it?"

"It's a potion."

"And it will fix me?"

"It's only part of the cure." He shoved the bowl and a spoon at him.

Kíli dutifully slurped up the stew. “Blecchh! It's horrible! It tastes like burnt onions and-"

"Keep going, that means it's working! You'll regret it later if you lose your tongue."

He choked it down with twisted faces and gagging sounds until the bowl was empty.

"You finished that quick! You must really want to get better."

"Of course I do!"

"How is the rest of you holding up? Feel like anything else might fall off?"

He wiggled his fingers and touched his nose. "No, I don't think so."

"Good! Now for the next step. You have to be...um, upside down for a while!"

****

Kíli stood on his hands, leaning against the wall red faced and shaky.

"Am I done yet?"

"I'll let you know when." Fíli rested his hands behind his head as he watched; he was enjoying this.

"I don't think I can go much longer. I feel sick."

"Careful! If any of that potion comes up, you'll have to drink another batch."

Kíli groaned. His shirt had slipped over his face and everything he said now came out as a muffled "ooommp mmmph."Even though the words couldn't be made out, Fíli knew they were complaints.

"Fine! You can come down. But don't blame me if you lose a few toes. Who needs toes anyway, right?"

Kíli tumbled over, "I do."

"We have to go outside. There's one more thing to do. Fíli wasn't exactly sure what yet, but he grabbed a rope on his way out. He had ideas.

Before they could escape into the afternoon sun, their mother’s concerned voice called from behind them.

“Where are you going?”

“Outside! Just for a little bit!”

“And what are you up to?” She noticed Kíli’s mouth clamped down in a nervous smile, hiding something.

“We're playing a game where Kíli has to keep quiet.”

“That's not a bad idea. You should play that more often,” she laughed.

When they left her sight, Kíli begged to know the final step.

"You have to catch a frog-"

"Easy!"

"-with your hands tied behind your back."

“Are you sure?”

“Very sure.”

They walked to the edge of the pond and Fíli tied a loose knot around Kíli’s wrists. “I don't want to make it too tight, we don't want your hands falling off in the process.”

Kíli gulped at the thought, but was optimistic. “I can't wait until I'm cured!”

“Oh, me too. Me too. Fíli didn't think he'd be able to watch this with a straight face.

Kíli was off; he crashed down on an unsuspecting frog, rolled about in the muddy water like a spastic worm, struggled back up and continued to splash and thrash.

And it was funny. For the first ten minutes or so. But Kíli’s agitation was growing obvious. "I'm...never...never gonna get one! And my hands and ears will fall off and I won’t be able to play anymore!"

It was very pitiful and pathetic. Fíli couldn't let it go on any longer. It was beginning to weigh on his conscious.

He darted to the other end of the pond and quickly scooped up a frog. He then reached under a wriggling, unsuspecting Kíli and produced the frog he had caught.

“Look, you got one!”

"I did? I did! Am I cured now?"

“Yes! All better!”

“Phew! Now untie me!”

****

At the dinner table, after they had successfully snuck back in and hid the muddy clothes, their mother noticed Kíli’s missing tooth. It wasn't hard to spot - he couldn't stop smiling after his harrowing experience had come to an end.

"My baby is growing up!"

"It's alright, mama. I'm cured, don't worry!”

She looked confused, then a shot a disapproving glance at Fíli, who snorted into his cup.

All was well until a week later, when Kíli lost another tooth.

"I thought you said I was better! What do we do now?" He panicked.

"I know what to do. We'll make sure it works this time." _I'll tell him eventually_ , Fíli thought. _I'll go easier on him this time_.

"Tidiness can make a big difference in these situations. I think we can keep it in check if...Kíli...you're going to have to clean our room.”


	5. Rainy Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A storm awakens Fíli’s curiosity, leading to a dangerous little adventure.

“Where does rain come from, Fíli?”

Kíli sat cross legged, chin resting in one hand while the other fiddled with a new bow. Unused. One that could not be played with indoors. He and Fíli were supposed to be outside right now, weapons in tow. Until the storm came and ruined their day.

"It comes from clouds. The clouds get so full they start leaking and then...” Fíli gestured dramatically, “...whoosh! Lots of rain.”

"How does the water get in the clouds?"

“It...it's just there.” Fíli didn't have all the answers. In fact, he hadn't thought about that before.

“Does thunder come from the clouds too? I only hear it when it's raining.”

“No, no, that's from the giants.”

“Giants?” Kíli gasped.

“Yes, they’re made of stone and are bigger than the mountains and they make the thunder. The louder it is, the closer they are and-”

“Fíli!” A sudden bark from across the room interrupted his explanation. He didn't realize his uncle was listening. “There is no such thing. Don't feed your brother fanciful nonsense.”

“But that's what my father told me,” Fíli muttered under his breath.

“So where DOES thunder come from?” Kíli was growing impatient for an answer.

“I don't know,” Fíli sighed, crestfallen.

****

The storm did not let up. Fíli and Kíli remained inside, morning turning to afternoon, and conspired about what they would do once the rain stopped.

"There's a flood," their mother updated them. "The river is overflowing and the ground will be soaked for days.”

“Yay, MUD!” Kíli exclaimed, momentarily thrilled. Then he registered the part about a flood. “But when can we go out and play?”

“It's not safe to be outside now. Have a little patience, my darlings! It will stop soon.”

“But when?”

No time soon, apparently. Water dripped from the ceiling. “Now it's raining INSIDE!” Kíli wailed. The brothers occupied their time by sticking pots under the leaks. They tried to make a game out of it, however, it wasn't much fun. “The clouds must be very full.”

What a wasted day.

Later that night, the rhythmic splashing of water on metal pots kept them both awake. The rain was louder now. A clap of thunder shook the walls.

“Fíli!” Kíli squealed and hid his head under a blanket.

“It's just thunder.” But it had startled Fíli, too.

“Fíli, are there really giants? Uncle said-”

“There ARE. I know it.”

A louder boom rattled their beds. Or so it felt like.

“Then they're getting closer?!”

“They must be.” Fíli jumped up and grabbed a small knife he kept by his pillow. It was rather dull, but it would do.   
  
“Where are you going? It's nighttime!”

“I'm going to see the giants,” Fíli threw on his cloak and boots.

“But aren't you afraid?”

“I'm not afraid of anything,” he lied. “Are you coming with me or not?”

“Uh huh, I will. I want to see them too!”

“Good, you can hold the lantern.”

****

The dim light wasn't helping much as they crept down the halls. They had to be as quiet as possible and that was rather difficult, especially for Kíli.

“We’re almost there. Careful with that light! If it goes out, we’ll never get back.” Fíli began to have second thoughts about this excursion, but his curiosity outweighed his concern.

When they arrived at the entrance, a wall of water greeted them. “We have to go out there? But we’ll get wet!” Kíli had second thoughts now, too.

“So? Come on!”

They trudged through the mud, through the pools of water, the wind stinging their faces. A boom of thunder, louder now that they were outside, made them gasp. Then a flash of lightning lit the whole sky with a crack. Kíli jumped backwards and dropped the lantern. Everything went dark.

“What do we do? What do we do?!” Kíli didn't bother to hide how frightened he was.

“I...I can see a little bit,” Fíli couldn't, but he didn't want Kíli to know that. He waited for more lightning to guide him.

They needed to turn back, but which way was it? If they walked one step in the wrong direction…

“Fíli, help!” Kíli was knee-deep in cold, rushing water. Fíli dragged him out, careful not to fall in himself.

Thunder roared even louder. “They’re coming! Will they step on us?”

“No, just stay close!” Fíli wasn't sure how to get out of this mess. If only he had thought this through, instead of running blindly into the rain to prove a point. Amidst the storm, and Kíli’s hysterics, he heard soggy footsteps.

The brothers were suddenly lifted off the ground by the backs of their cloaks. They screamed, kicked, flailed; Fíli grabbed for the knife in his pocket with no avail.

“Let us go!”

“What are you doing out here?!” Their uncle growled. He sloshed back across the flooded ground, a nephew under each arm.

“Of all the foolish, irresponsible…in the middle of the night, in a storm! Were you trying to get yourselves drowned?”

“We were going to see the giants!” Kíli sniffled.

“There are NO giants,” he glared at Fíli, “I want an end to this nonsense. And I am disappointed in you for bringing your brother out here.”

“He wanted to come! I didn’t know that-”

“Stop, no more excuses. If I had not heard you leave, do you know what could have happened? Kíli, stop crying. Do NOT leave these halls at night again. Is that understood?”

“Yes, uncle.”

“Dry yourselves off. Do not tell your mother about this. We don't want to upset her now, do we?”

“No, uncle.”

He led them to their room and ordered them to bed.

Kíli shook the water from his hair like a drenched dog. “He’s mad. We shouldn't have left.”

“Maybe so, but he's not REALLY mad. He was just worried.” Fíli was getting better at measuring his uncle’s moods. He pulled off his boots and poured water out of them.

The door flung open. Their uncle dropped a pile of towels onto the bed with a sigh. “Goodnight.”

They were warm, probably right off the hearth, and Fíli and Kíli wasted no time wrapping themselves in them. “See? He’s not that angry.”

Now dry and very sleepy, they crawled into bed. Kíli had at last stopped shivering and reflected on the night’s events. “That wasn’t very fun. But I wouldn't mind doing it again.” He seemed to be developing a taste for danger, much to Fíli’s dismay.

“And we didn't see any giants. Is uncle right, then? Are there none?”

Fíli lifted his head from his pillow and gave an impassioned assurance to Kíli, and himself.

“Just because you haven’t seen something yet, doesn’t mean it’s not out there. You’ve never seen the lonely mountain before, but you know it’s real, right? Same with a lot of other things. One day, we’ll see it all.”


	6. Durin's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fili and Kili know how to spoil a good party...

Fíli and Kíli were out of their element and they were not too happy about it.  Clad in new silk tunics, shiny beads, polished belt buckles, unscuffed boots, and presently dirt-free, they were a rare sight. 

Fíli was clothed in bronze with red trim. Kíli’s attire was dark blue with silver trim, to better hide the inevitable stains. It was a cruel punishment, to have to dress up like this; but Durin’s Day only comes only once a year. Thankfully.

“There, there, look how special and grown up you look!” Their mother spun them around in front of the mirror with pride.

Fíli groaned; there were no pockets to hide anything in. 

“But I don’t feel grown up,” Kíli grumbled as he tried to unravel the braid Dís had struggled to put in his hair. “I still can’t do whatever I want! I don’t like this!” He tugged again at the offending strand in frustration. 

Dís lowered his hand down. “It’s just for today, dear. We want to look our best. Your uncle wants to show you off.”

“Why?” Kíli was baffled. You showed off weapons, and skills, and castles you made out of mud, not nephews. Especially not ones who were often in trouble.

“Because we’re his heirs,” Fíli rolled his eyes.

“Oh, that’s right! Mama, Fíli told me about how I’m one because I have lots of air in my head, and that’s why I’m an heir,” he beamed.

“Fíli, don’t tease your brother.” She straightened both of their collars once more. “Your uncle wants you both by his side during his address. All eyes will be on you. No mischief, no pranks. Promise you’ll be on your best behavior.”

Fíli wasn’t sure what that meant. Best compared to what? But he felt very important. “We will!”

“And try to stay as clean and neat as possible!” 

That shouldn’t be too hard, they agreed.

*****

As soon as he was out of his mother’s sight, Kíli was ripping at his hair again. “Fíli, can you cut this off for me?!”

“No, you’ll move and I’ll wind up slicing your ear off. I don’t want to get in trouble for that!”

“Do I have to do anything for uncle’s speech?” Kíli wondered.

“No, you just have to not say anything and we’ll be fine.”

There was plenty of time before the ceremonies began and before they would be “shown off.” They decided it would be harmless to explore the halls as the final preparations were set up. 

The crowds began to gather, boisterous laughter and song filled the air. They tried their best not to get stepped on or knocked over, as they often got underfoot. 

Kíli stuck his nose in the air. “I smell food!”

“We should wait until–”

“But then there won’t be any left!” Kíli’s nose led them to a particular table in the back of the room, untouched, with no one else around. 

It smelled like sweet stuff. It was tempting, so tempting that Fíli could not bother to argue, even though he knew it was a bad idea.

There was a problem though - the table was too high to reach. “Pick me up, pick me up!” Kíli begged, already climbing up his brother. 

Fíli lifted him just enough so that his head could peek over the edge. “What’s up there? Hurry up, you’re heavy!”

Kíli didn’t answer, because he was already stuffing his face. Fíli couldn’t see much, but did hear him noisily chewing on something no doubt delicious. 

“Save some for me!” 

“Mmmhmmm.” A flurry of powdered sugar drifted down like snow on top of Fíli, but he was still unable to steal a taste. 

“Move me over, there’s even more to the left!” Kíli ordered.

“Hey, where’s my share?”

“I ate it all. Sorry. Ooh, what’s in here?”           

It was a huge bowl, no doubt also containing something delicious. 

He reached for it a little too eagerly, pulled a little too hard, and it wobbled dangerously until it spilled, all over Kíli and his fine new clothes. Fíli’s reaction was to drop him, under the threat of a flood of…pudding?...gushing down the side of the table. Kíli, then the bowl, came crashing down in a chocolatey heap. 

“Are you alright?” 

“No! I didn’t get to taste it!” Kíli stuck his hands in the mess and licked his fingers. “It was good, too!”

“We need to clean you up!” Fíli wiped the globs of dessert off his brother, inadvertently smearing it further.  A metal clasp on his sleeve caught onto Kíli’s shirt, and it tore down the middle with a deafening rip. 

“Oh no! Hold on, I can fix this! Don’t move. Don’t touch anything. I’ll be right back!”

“I won’t,” Kíli swore, spooning out remnants of pudding from the bowl with his hands.  

Fíli darted into the growing crowd, amid cries of “Watch it!” and “Where are you off to in a hurry?” He would find a way to clean up Kíli, maybe replace the food somehow, and no one would be the wiser. But it was proving difficult to move very far in the now crowded hall. At this rate, he would never be able to solve the predicament in time. 

Fíli picked up his pace, nearly sprinting, weaving around all those in his way. Until he ran head first into a rather large dwarf carrying a rather large barrel of ale, which was dumped on him as a result of the collision. It was cold, sticky, and he was soaked down to his socks. When he shook it out of his ears, he could hear laughter and unhelpful comments directed at him. 

“What a waste! Was about to fill my cup!”

“Nah, he has the right idea…going swimming in it!”

“Got a big mouthful, didn’t you, lad” 

Defeated, and slightly dizzy, he trudged back to find Kíli. He wasn’t quite where he had left him, but close enough. “We have to get out of here, we both need to fix ourselves before...Kíli, where is your other boot?”

Kíli shrugged. “Why are you all wet?” 

“It doesn’t matter. We are going to be in such trouble if we don’t-”

Just then, their uncle made his way to the front of the hall and everyone went silent. “Uh oh, I think we need to be up there...now,” Kíli noted. They were supposed to be, but they looked like disasters. Fíli let out a string of words he wasn’t allowed to say. 

Thorin began his speech. “On this Durin’s Day, we…”  Fíli frantically tried to wring the ale out of his hair, to fix Kíli, but it was no use. 

“I present my nephews, the future, the pride of…” That was their cue. “My nephews exemplify the strength and nobility of our heritage…”  Thorin stood impatient, waiting for them to join. The two not-very-noble-looking nephews squeezed their way through the crowd, accidently tripping and shoving anyone unlucky enough to be in their way. “Excuse me! Sorry! Ow, excuse us!”

Thorin gasped when he saw them. A drenched Fíli, making squishing noises as he walked, reeking of the finest ale in Ered Luin and leaving puddles of it in his wake. Kíli, his clothing ripped and wrinkled and covered in dessert, only one boot on, and the braid he had been pulling at all day sticking up straight from his head like a frazzled rope. Kíli smiled and waved at the crowd, Fíli kept his head down. 

“My…my nephews,” Thorin repeated, clearly embarrassed. The dwarves, already a little drunk and rowdy, began to laugh. 

“Where did they crawl out of?” 

“Not a very good representation, huh?” 

“Someone had a little too much fun….” 

“How unroyal!” 

“So THAT’S where the pudding went!”

Thorin whispered through clenched teeth and nudged them away. “Leave. Now.” He attempted to deflect the situation by touting the achievements of the past year, and how prosperous it had been. 

“We are in trouble, aren’t we?” 

“Yes, I think so,” Fíli stumbled, a little tipsy from the fumes of ale. 

*****

“Oh, boys! I asked you to behave, just this one day!” Dís found them hiding in their room. She wasn’t surprised, really, about what had happened, and was only slightly annoyed. It could have been worse. 

“We’re sorry. We didn’t mean it, but everything kind of went wrong.” 

“Fíli! You smell like a tavern floor! And Kíli...Kíli!” She wiped away food from his face using the sleeve of her dress, which she didn’t care about getting dirty anymore. 

“Mama, my tummy hurts. And I can’t find my boot.” 

“My poor little Kíli,” Dís untangled the massive knot from his hair. “Come on, let’s get cleaned up.” 

“Is Uncle mad at us? Will he ever speak to us again?”

“He won’t be for long,” she encouraged. “And I wouldn’t say he is mad, but perhaps slightly...disappointed.”

“Are you disappointed in us?” Fíli didn’t think so, but he wanted to make sure. 

“No, no baby, I am very proud of you.” 

“And me too?”

“Of course! Both of you. Oh, there’s no salvaging these,” she said as she tossed their once fine garments aside.

*****

Fíli needed to make things right with Thorin, but he was too afraid to face him...for now. He grabbed some paper and wrote: 

 

_ Dear Uncle,  _

_ I am really sorry I ruined your celebration and disgraced the name of Durin. I did not mean to, and I should have been more careful. I will do  _ _ any _ _ chore to make up for it, even cleaning the stables.  _

_ Sincerely,  _

_ with apologies and regret,  _

_ your nephew, _

_ Fíli _

_ P.S. Sorry again  _

 

Fíli folded it neatly and snuck into Thorin’s room (where he wasn’t allowed, but this was important and he was already in trouble anyway) and placed it on his desk. Maybe he would accept it, maybe not, but he knew he did the right thing. 

Some time later, another, rather crumbled, piece of paper was slid underneath Thorin’s closed door: 

 

_ It was mostly my fault so I should get most of the punishment.  _

_ I won’t do it again - never ever EVER. _

_ –K _


	7. Stuck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In order to rescue Kíli, Fíli must overcome his biggest fear.

“You’ll never catch me!” Kíli taunted. “Just give up!” His confidence was not completely unfounded.

“You can’t run forever!” Fíli yelled back, winded. He was fast, but no match for Kíli’s erratic, rabbit-like zigzagging. There was a lot at stake with this game; loser takes the winner’s chores for a week. Plus, there were the bragging rights. “I’m gaining on you! Me, give up? HA!”

Kíli realized this; Fíli’s voice was growing louder. But he had a surefire way to escape his brother – and it was right in front of him.

When Fíli finally caught up, Kíli was almost halfway up the tree, scurrying like a frantic squirrel. Fíli often wondered how he did that, and whether he was actually part forest animal. Kíli had the upper, much upper, hand now. Surrender may be imminent.

“Mama said no climbing!” This was breaking all the rules, even their mother’s.

“But she’s not here to see it! And if you tattle on me, I’ll say YOU let me.”

“Get down! You’re going too high!” Fíli ordered on disobedient ears.

“Nuh uh! If you want me to stop, come and get me!”

They both knew that was highly unlikely. Fíli preferred to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground. In less honorable terms, he was afraid of heights.

“Cheater!” Fíli raged. He could feel Kíli’s grin burning through him, even though he couldn’t see it very clearly from this distance. “I hope you get stuck up there!”

Kíli leapt across the branches, which were plentiful and seemingly sturdy. “What’s the matter, big brother, are you afraid? Afraid of a little tree? I WON!”

As he proclaimed his victory, the branch, not as sturdy under the weight of a bouncing, celebratory dwarf, snapped with a loud crack. Fíli thought that’s what breaking bones must sound like, as he watched Kíli fall in slow motion.

“Kíli!” Fíli’s breath caught in his throat.

Luck was on Kíli’s side - as lucky as one could be in such a precarious position. The crook of one arm caught on a branch below, and his shirt snagged on another. He dangled awkwardly and uncomfortably, finally realizing how high he had climbed. A few feet above ground was all it would have taken to keep Fíli away – why did he do it? It was too late for regrets now.

“Fíli, help!”

“Grab on to the trunk!”

“I can’t!” He swung his snagged arm, but it loosened the grip of the other. “I need you to pull me over!”

“Errr, you can reach! You got up there, didn’t you? You’re just fooling me again!”

“I’m not joking this time! I can’t…reach…” He tried to kick his leg up, but it was useless.

“How about if…if you let go and I catch you?”

“What?! No way!”

“Then I’ll go get help!”

“No, don’t leave! I can’t hold on much longer!”

In his rising panic, Fíli imagined every possible scheme to get Kíli down without going up himself. “What if… what if I went and got your bow and shot a –“

“It would never work! You couldn’t hit a target if it slapped you in the face.”

“Why didn’t you listen to me! You picked the worst possible –”

“I didn’t do it on purpose!” Kíli argued, slipping lower from his accidental perch.

He didn’t really wish for Kíli to be stuck up there, did he? Why did he even say such a horrible thing? There was no way to avoid a broken limb if he fell, and that’s if he landed the “right” way. There would likely be much more damage.

  
“Fíli, please!”

  
There was a desperation in his plea that Fíli could no longer ignore, no matter how frightened he was.

“I’m coming, just hold on…”

“What do you think I’ve been doing this whole time?!”

Fíli kicked aside the fear and unhooked a rope from his belt (he was usually prepared for a disaster like this – one never knew when their brother might get stuck in a tree). He wrapped it around the trunk and held onto the ends tightly, so tightly that his hands turned white. He scaled up slowly, only looking up, not down, and forced himself not to think much about it, or at all, if he could. Until he reached the branches; then Fíli froze, unsure how to proceed.

“Um, what are you waiting for?! Come on! It’s like climbing a ladder!”

Fíli moved one shaking foot in front of the other, pretending they were rungs. The rope slipped from his nervous hands and spiraled down like a snake.

“That’s alright, we didn’t need it,” Kíli lied. “Hurry!”

“I’m trying!” He crouched low and hugged the tree as if his life depended on it, and perhaps it did.

“You have to stand up! It’s the only way to reach me!”

Fíli’s usually good balance was untested this far from the ground. _Just look ahead, just look ahead_. He extended his hand below him. Kíli stretched as far as he could, almost certain his arm was in danger of ripping off. One final push and he was able to pull up and free himself.

He jumped down to Fíli’s branch. “Phew!” he laughed, “That was close.” He wiped the corner of his eye, but Fíli didn’t notice – he had his back against the bark, eyes shut tightly.

“You did it! I knew you could! You rescued me!”

Fíli looked like he was going to be sick. “How…do…we…get…down?” He trembled.

“Just follow me. It isn’t that bad, I promise.” Kíli took a head start and guided his brother from below. “Left foot…now right foot…move a little to the left. Hold on to that. There you go, you got it! Don’t step on that, it’s wobbly.”

“Shhhh! You’re making me dizzy,” he groaned, stumbling a bit.

“I’m only encouraging you! Please don’t get sick! There’s only one place it’s going to go, and that’s down…on me.”

The ordeal seemed to last forever, Fíli was slow, and Kíli hung on waiting for him to take each a little step. “Almost there!” Then finally the safe, stable ground; Fíli nearly collapsed.

“See, we made it,” Kíli brushed leaves from his hair. “Wasn’t that hard.”

“Hmmm,” was all Fíli could say, with a foggy stare. To stop the spinning, he leaned his head against the very tree that had nearly defeated him.

“Are you alright?” Kíli was concerned, as he had never seen Fíli so out of sorts. He was expecting a scolding, or at least a passionate lecture about how dangerous climbing was.

Fíli nodded quickly. Anything more would bring the dizziness back.

“I’m sorry. You must have hated that,” It was an understatement, Kíli knew, but his apology was sincere. “But we’re fine now!”

“Fine…fine….” Fíli muttered in a daze.

Kíli noticed his brother’s palms were red and scratched raw from the rope and the bark he clung to. He slunk over to a nearby creek, dug some wrinkled handkerchiefs from his pocket, and soaked them in the cool water. It was the least he could do after the trouble he caused. This was his fault – well, it was the branch’s fault for not holding him up, he decided. Although he had no business being up there in the first place.

The color had returned to Fíli’s face, but he was still wearing an unsteady expression.

“Here,” Kíli took his brother’s hands and tied the cloth around them. “Better?” Fíli sighed in relief.

“If anyone asks about them, we can say we were playing tug-of-war with the rope. But if you want to tell what really happened, that’s alright too. I don’t mind.”

Fíli shrugged. It didn’t matter what story they told, as long as no one else found out about his fear.

“I really am sorry. It was a dumb thing to do. I just wanted to win so badly.”

Fíli didn’t accept, or reject, the apology.

“Are you still sick, or do you not want to talk? You’ll talk to me again, right? You aren’t too mad at me, are you?”

He shook his head ‘no’ and sniffled.

“Do you mean you aren’t mad, or that you’ll never talk to me again?”

Fíli rolled his eyes and shook his head in two opposite directions.

“What does that mean? You’re disowning me as a brother and won’t talk to-?

“How can I never talk to you again if you keep asking me ridiculous questions?”

“Oh. Good!”

“I just have nothing to say, is all.”

“I…I was scared too, you know.”

Fíli looked down at his bandaged hands.

“I think you’re very brave for going up there. And, I won’t, uh, tease you again about your…you know.”

Fíli winced and rose to his feet. ”I think I’m better now.”

“Not dizzy?”

“I’ll get over it. I’m tired after…all that. Let’s go home." He picked up his rope and dragged it behind him.

“Wait, Fíli…”

“What?”

“You caught me! You won!”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, I'd never put them in any serious danger


	8. A Little Different

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It finally happens – Fíli and Kíli are separated. Not voluntarily, of course. Thorin takes Fíli on his travels to learn dwarf affairs, but instead, Fíli learns about himself. Meanwhile, Kíli adjusts to being alone and finds his mother has a surprising talent.

“It's not faaaaaiiiirrrr! Why can't I go, too?” Kíli was near tears. He had never faced such an injustice in his young life, and he voiced his displeasure. Loudly.

  
“Why can’t Kíli come?” Fíli begged. “He’ll be good, I'll watch him!”

  
“He is too young,” Thorin answered, as he had for the last several days. The decision was final, yet Kíli’s pleas became more frequent as the time drew near. “Soon, Kíli,” he patted his nephew’s shoulder.

  
Dís hovered and fretted, searching through Fíli’s bag. “Did you pack enough socks?”

  
“How many do I need?” Fíli thought he planned well enough. Then again, he never traveled far from home before.

  
“More than you think.” She shoved in five more pairs, the bag close to bursting. “There's barely enough warm clothing in here!”

  
“I can handle it!”

  
“Fíli, listen to me...you must mind your uncle. Don't stray or do anything dangerous or without thinking.”

  
“Dís, he will be fine,” her brother tried to reassure, with little success.

  
“Don't let him out of your sight, Thorin!”

  
“Where, exactly, are you going?” Kíli pulled Fíli aside while the other siblings bickered about safety and bedtimes (“I don't want him awake at all hours of the night!”).

  
“You made such a fuss about it, and you don't even know?!”

  
“I just assumed it was somewhere exciting.”

  
“Not really. He's taking me to a settlement up north, a few days’ travel.”

  
“That's far!”

  
“There's a meeting or a counsel or something like that.”

  
“That's boring!”

  
“I know, but I can't get out of it.”

  
“To go all the way there for _that_ ,” he shook his head in disappointment. “You better find interesting stuff along the way. I certainly would.”

  
“I'll try. Uncle probably won't let me have much fun, though. It's _serious_. I have a lot to _learn_ ,” he mimicked Thorin’s voice, and was quite good at it.

  
“At least you get to spend time with him and travel. You're so lucky,” Kíli sniffed.

  
“Huh, real lucky.”

  
****

  
Fíli left with a bag full of socks, a couple of pocket knives, and conflicting emotions; he was eager, nervous, excited, and cautious. It was difficult to describe his feelings about the journey. Thankfully he didn’t have to speak of them. Thorin liked silence.  
  
There was never a shortage of conversation with Kíli, even if it was nonsense half the time. Long stretches of silence were foreign to Fíli. He asked pointless questions just to break them.  
  
“What kind of tree is that?”

  
“You should know that, Fíli. It is an oak.”

  
“I did. It just looked different in this light. How far would it take to travel to the other end of the world?”  
  
“A long time.”  
  
“Have you ever gone that far?”  
  
“No.”  
  
Fíli returned to the tedious quiet. Maybe he could get used to it.  
  
It was obvious Thorin chose the safest route possible, which Fíli was grateful for. He wasn’t looking for danger on his first trip from home. However, he yearned for _anything_ exciting to cross his path, so he could report back to Kíli. He might have to make something up to satisfy his brother’s demand for tall tales.  
  
By nightfall, they were long past the farthest Fíli had traveled before. It was like being at the end of the earth, only there were still many miles left to go. The loud snorts of his pony were the only thing keeping him awake as his head bobbed back and forth. Traveling was tiring.

  
“We will stop here,” Thorin announced.

  
“We have to sleep outside?” Fíli asked anxiously.

  
“Only for tonight. It is safe, I assure you,” he added before his nephew could protest. “You must get accustomed to it sooner or later.”

  
So far, nothing about growing up was very appealing. The ground was hard and lumpy. Fíli piled up a stack of socks to use as a pillow – they did come in handy after all. He shoved the rest of them into his ears, to drown out the strange sounds. Inside, there were always familiar faint footsteps in the halls and Kíli’s thrashing and mumbling and snoring. Outside, it was both quiet and noisy, although that made little sense.

  
A sudden screech from above pierced through him and he jolted upright with a whimper. “What was that?!”

  
“An owl. Go to sleep.”

  
“But what if-”

  
“Go...to...sleep. _Please_.”

  
Fíli buried his face in his sock-pillow, fighting to ignore the owls and whatever else lurked around him.  
  
****

  
Kíli lit the lantern, the last of many. A dozen, to be exact. The glow emitting from underneath the door drew his mother’s attention. It must have drawn everyone’s attention.

  
“It looks like daylight in here! You should be in bed, it is very late.”

  
“But it was dark. I had a bad dream.”

  
“My poor little Kíli! About what?”

  
“Um, bears. I think.”

  
“You don’t have to worry about bears, they can’t get in here,” she soothed him.

  
“I _know_ that,” he stated matter-of-factly, “but Fíli can get eaten by bears.”

  
“Oh, for Durin’s sake! Your brother is fine!” He is not going to be eaten by bears or-”

  
“Wolves, maybe?”

  
“Absolutely not! And bright lights attract such wild beasts. Did you know that?”

  
“No, I’ve never seen one.”

  
“If you want to keep them away, from you or from Fíli, you cannot shine beacons for the whole world to see.”

  
“But it’ll be too dark then.”

  
“The perfect number of lights, bright enough for you but too dim for them to see you, is...three.”

  
“Three?” He hurried across the room, blowing out each lantern. “Twelve…eleven…ten…”

  
“Perfect. Even your dreams will be guarded from hungry animals now. Goodnight, Kíli.”

  
Kíli dreamt, not of Fíli being eaten by bears, but of Fíli having fun without him. He tossed and turned throughout the night.

  
****

  
“We are nearly there.” Thorin helped Fíli down from his pony and they made their way downhill.

  
“Finally,” he sighed. It had been a long and uneventful journey, most of the time spent mentally categorizing boulders: big, bigger, or huge. Anything to keep busy.

  
Coming into view was a smaller, shabbier version of home. Fíli had secretly hoped for a grander sight.

  
“But why do they live far away? Why don’t they come stay with us and our folk?”

  
“They choose to live here. Yet they need occasional guidance.”  
  
“From us?”  
  
“It is complicated.” So were most matters, it seemed.

  
Three dwarf children gathered near the entrance, two boys and a girl, glaring at the visitors. To Fíli, a girl his age was a rare sight, and he stared back over his shoulder. Maybe this was an anomaly to recount to Kíli, although he probably wouldn’t be interested unless she was seven feet tall or breathed fire.  
  
The children whispered when he walked by. Were they talking about him? He smiled at them and they scattered, like leaves tossed in the wind.

  
“Ah, Thorin!” An older dwarf, less regal than uncle but clearly important, greeted them. Fíli stood back as they spoke, straining his neck to find where the children had run off to. When he heard his name called, he rushed to Thorin’s side.

  
“My nephew, Fíli,” he was introduced. Fíli bowed his head and shuffled awkwardly with his hands in his pockets.  
  
The dwarf studied him and chuckled. “He’s a little on the small side, isn’t he? You feeding them enough over there?”

  
Dwarves here sure were rude. He began speaking to Fíli in Khuzdul, but he could only make out every other word. His accent was strange, but he could tell from the inflection that it was a question. Fíli nodded, hoping his response was acceptable. Instead, he received a perplexed look.

  
“Errr, I don't think your nephew understands what I'm saying.”

  
“If you look past his...shortcomings, he will have much to offer one day,” Thorin defended him.

  
“Hmmm. What are you good at, lad?”

  
Fíli shrugged and looked to Thorin for a hint of how to answer.

  
“He shows promise with the sword,” Thorin spoke fondly. It was not boasting, but it was close enough.

  
“Is that so?”

  
“I guess, sir.”

  
“Humble. That’s good. Maybe.”

  
“Yes, sir.”

  
“At least he has manners!”

  
“His mother will be proud to hear that. I am sure you are aware that it does not come from me.” Thorin brushed past the brash host and led Fíli inside, clearly agitated.

  
“What did he say to me? He talks funny.”

  
“He asked if you were as weak as you look.”  
  
Fíli groaned. He would have defended himself, had he known he was being insulted.  
  
****

  
Not an hour had passed in this odd place before Thorin brought Fíli to a _serious_ event. “Pay attention. You may have to do this one day.”

  
What, exactly, they were doing was lost on Fíli. He listened to Thorin and the others speak around a big table. Bored, he counted every braid in every beard in the room. His trip so far was an endless stretch of walking and listening. It felt like a punishment for simply aging a year.  
  
He twisted in his seat, unaccustomed to sitting in one spot for so long, and nearly tipped his chair backwards. He crashed it back down with a thud. Heads turned toward him with annoyed sneers.

  
“This is no place for a child!”  
  
“He will behave. Won't you, Fíli?” Thorin warned.

  
“He should be out running around. Lad, would you like to leave and go do that?”

  
“Yes sir,” Fíli said without thinking.

  
“See? He’s distracting! Get him out of here.”

  
“Fíli, you may leave,” Thorin dismissed him. Fíli didn’t know whether his presence was wanted or not, and what the point in him coming along was.

  
Free, but unsure where to go or what to do, he wandered aimlessly. He soon spotted the children from earlier. It was a perfect opportunity to introduce himself and join in, so he went for it.

  
“Hello.”

  
No answer. Not even an acknowledgement of his existence.

  
“Hello,” he repeated louder, “I’m Fíli.”

  
“You aren’t from here,” the taller boy observed.

  
“No, I’m not. Um, may I join you?”

  
“You arrived with Thorin Oakenshield, didn’t you?”

  
“He’s my uncle.” Everyone knew about uncle, it seemed.

  
They exchanged knowing glances and smirked.

  
“May I join in?”

  
“No, you may not, _your highness_ ,” they snickered.

  
Fíli was taken aback. Were they joking? Or were they mocking him? Fíli had committed enough missteps today, but he never had trouble making friends before.

  
“I don’t understand. Why not?”

  
“Careful, if we upset him he’ll throw us in his dungeon!”

  
“What dungeon? I don’t have a dungeon. Please?”

  
The girl huddled them together and whispered in their ears. “Nuh uh, no way!” the shorter boy protested. She crossed her arms and snuck a sympathetic look at Fíli, at least that was how it appeared to him.

  
“Well?” He waited for their response with a lump in his throat.

  
“No, sorry. We don’t want a snobby prince playing with us.”

  
Fíli never heard those words together before, and certainly not towards him. “But I’m not-”

  
“Go away! Haven’t you heard the word “no” before?”

  
“He probably hasn’t!” The boys laughed.

  
Fíli’s face burned red. He slunk away, sullen and defeated. He sat down behind a pillar, hiding from the world, and pulled out his small knives, twirling them between his fingers. It was the only thing he could think of to occupy himself. This was the worst journey ever, even if it was the only one he had taken. Had he done something wrong? This place was strange, perhaps the customs were unusual. He mulled over his actions, searching for an explanation.

  
Eventually, the children passed by Fíli’s hiding spot, fully immersed in their game. They ignored him, but the gleam of his blades caught their eyes. They stopped in their tracks and watched, cautiously.

  
“Are those real?!” The shorter boy marveled.

  
Fíli might have another chance after all. “Yes, would you like to-”

  
“Of course they’re real. He must have a ton of nice stuff at his disposal to show off,” the taller one scoffed.

  
“No I don’t, I’m not-”

  
“You live in a big, fancy place with servants, don't try and fool us!”

  
Was everyone here mad? “Servants!? I share a room with my brother. It's not big at all, or fancy. We have chores and live like everyone else. Where do you hear these crazy-”

  
“Uh huh, sure. Don’t talk to him, he’s too good for us. Come on, let's get away from here.”

  
“But I’ll let you-”

  
They hurried off before Fíli could offer the knives. At this point, he shouldn’t have yearned for the company of such mean-spirited children. Yet he still did. He was lonely and wanted to prove them wrong – he was normal like them, no different.

  
****

  
Kíli lay listless on the floor, sighing and staring at the ceiling.

  
“I know you miss him, but, my darling, you have to get up! You must get up!” Dís begged.

  
“Why, because I’m an embarrassment to the family?”

  
“No, because the floors need to be mopped. Up, up, come on,” she ordered, tugging his arm. Kíli went limp and refused to be lifted.

  
“Oh, Kíli! What are we going to do with you? Cheer up! Stop moping and go out and play.”

  
“Don't want to.”

  
“Why not?”

  
“Fíli’s not here.”

  
“You have other friends. You get along fine with them.”

  
“I have to be polite all the time and they never let me win.”

  
“Then you can find something to do on your own.”

  
“I don’t even know how to do that!”

  
“Well, I won't allow you to lie around like a sad lump.”

  
“I don’t feel good. I’m sick,” Kíli proclaimed.

  
Dís touched his forehead. “Open your mouth, tongue out...no, you aren’t sick, not in body, anyway. You are just sad.”

  
“How do I cure it?”

  
“This is temporary. I’d say a dose of productivity will help.”

  
“Errrr…”

  
“How about you help me with dinner?”

  
“Ehhhh…”

  
“I will let you lick the spoon when I’m done baking.”

  
Kíli’s head perked up from the ground. “Really?”

  
“Of course!”

  
“Yes, I’ll do it! I can help!”

  
****

  
Thorin decided to check on Fíli. He appeared despondent at dinner, enough so that Thorin noticed. He found his nephew sitting at the edge of his bed, slowly swinging his legs.

  
“I trust you are aware of your bedtime. Is all well?”

  
“Uncle, why do the dwarves here treat me different?” It wasn't like Fíli to discuss his feelings, especially bad ones, but he needed to know.

  
“Different how?”

  
Fíli took a deep breath and exhaled a stream of concerns. “Well, the adults are disappointed in me, even if I sit quietly and don't do anything wrong. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. And the children, they said I was snobby but I'm not! I'm the same as they are! Except I have knives and they didn't.”

  
“It is because you _are_ different.”

  
“I don't mean to be! How can I change?”

  
“Fíli, it is not a bad thing, to be different. This is through no fault of your own.”

  
“They acted like I was above them and I'm not!”

  
“You should not care what others say or think.”

  
“But what can I do? To change their minds about me?”

  
“Be yourself.”

  
“That won’t work.”

  
“You cannot expect everyone to like you, but they can respect you. That is earned.”

  
“How?”

  
“I do not have all the answers. You will need to figure that out on your own.”

  
There was so much to figure out lately, Fíli couldn't keep track of it all.

  
“But I will suggest you improve your Khuzdul. When you responded in the gathering this morning, you were one syllable away from a very crude expression.”

  
“So that’s why they were laughing,” Fíli realized, embarrassed.

  
“Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day for you. Get some rest, clear your thoughts.”

  
Fíli was unable to do either. He was grateful he had an actual pillow tonight, but it was still strange and uncomfortable. He wondered how Kíli was faring. If Kíli were there, Fíli wouldn’t pay mind to what these rude folk said. Most of all, he wished Kíli was there because he missed him. A lot. Even the annoying things he did. And he missed mother, and home, and his own bed, and feeling like himself – not lonely and different.

  
****

  
Kíli was growing restless again. He tried his hand at other chores after some prodding, but he was unwilling to attempt much else without Fíli present.

  
It was difficult for his mother to watch. Always cheerful and bubbly, Kíli had been reduced to sulking and scowling.

  
“How about we go outside,” Dís suggested. “Can you bring extra arrows?”

  
Kíli lit up. “Are you going to watch me shoot?”

  
“No, I’m going to challenge you.”

  
“Oh!” he laughed. “I'm very, very good though. How is this going to work?”

  
“We shall see how it goes.”

  
They ventured out, found a clearing, and set up attainable targets. Kíli shot first, and hit respectably close to his mark. Excellent for his age and size, really.

  
“Good job! Do you suppose you can give me a turn now?”

  
“If you want.” He couldn’t help but doubt his mother on this, even though it pained him. He had never witnessed her touching an arrow, let alone shoot one (except for when she picked his off the floor, scolding “someone could step on these, you know!”).

  
Dís missed completely, flying completely over the mark. “Oops, I must be a little rusty,” she winked.

  
“It’s alright, mama. I’ll show you how to do it.”

  
“That’s kind of you, but...may I have another?”

  
Kíli felt slightly sorry for her but obliged.

  
“Maybe if I stand back a little further…” She released with slow precision, hitting the target in the center. Perfectly so.

  
“There we go! See, sometimes it takes a practice shot to get back into it.”

  
“How did you…how…” Kíli was astonished.

  
“I just aim and shoot. That's all there is to it! Right?”

  
“Do it again!” He pleaded, “Do it again!” The next two hit their marks, much to Kíli’s - and Dís’s -surprise.

  
“Look at that, I still have it!”

  
“I didn't know you could do that! How did you learn?”

  
“My brothers taught me when I was young. I was quite good at it. But you show much more promise than I did at your age.”

  
“Why don’t you do it anymore?”

  
“I have my hands full with you boys, I haven’t a minute to spare on extra combat!”

  
“But you’re really good! You’re unbelievable!”

  
Seeing her son’s eyes light up, Dís knew there was no longer room for excuses.

  
“You know...I think there is always time to help you with archery.”

  
“Yes! Teach me everything! Please!”

  
“Let’s work on your stance first. And get that hair out of your eyes! How can you see anything, Kíli?” She swept up his unruly locks and tied them back from his face.

  
“This will be our little secret, alright?”

  
“Our secret! I’ll keep it...secret!”

  
****

  
Fíli had to try again; it was in his nature. He needed to prove to them, and to himself, that there was nothing wrong with him.

  
He found them the next morning after breakfast. The food here was also disappointing, but he still cleared his plate.  
  
“Good morning!” He greeted, hiding his insecurities behind a warm smile.

  
“Uh oh, he's back! Good morning, _your_ _highness_ ,” they laughed.

  
“Stop it!” Fíli quickly lost his composure and erupted. “It’s not fair for you to think of me one way or another without knowing anything about me! I was forced to come here and I’m away from home for the first time and I’m lonely! I wasn’t rude to you, why be cruel to me?”

  
“You’re too… _good_ for us.”

  
“How can you tell that?”

  
“Your blades and your nice boots, and your…look, why do you even want to associate with us, _your_ _highness_? Go find your own kind!”

  
Fíli crossed his arms and refused to budge. “I’m not leaving until you give me a chance. I’ll prove to you that I’m not a snob and I can keep up with you.”

  
“You’re stubborn, that’s for sure.”

  
“I can wait here all day, I’m known for my patience.” He was fully prepared to, if need be. Fíli was rather stubborn, it was true.

  
“Then so be it!” They were amused, but showed no signs of giving in.

  
The stalemate was interrupted by angry hollering, an irate dwarf droning on in the language Fíli had such a poor grasp on.

  
“Run, it’s _him_! The three scurried and hid behind a wall, leaving Fíli alone and bewildered.

  
Whoever, _he_ was, he wildly waved an ax handle, continuing to yell in Khuzdul. Why did everyone have to make it difficult here? Fíli believed he could ease the situation and politely explain any offense they inadvertently made. He mentally translated his response as the chaos surrounded him.  
  
Fíli said what he thought to be: “Pardon me, I don’t understand what you are saying. I apologize ” But after he sputtered it out, the dwarf turned purple, furiously spitting and shaking his fist at Fíli, who had no idea what was being yelled at him, or why, or what on earth was really going on.

  
“Sorry, I...I…”

  
He stormed off after several minutes of screaming, outraged and offended. Fíli was able to breathe again.

  
“Is he gone?” There was exuberant laughing and cheering from behind the wall. “You sure are brave!”

  
“Huh?” Perhaps they were being sarcastic again.

  
“I can’t believe you said that! Our parents would likely disown us if they heard such words!”

  
“I don’t think he’s very royal, with that kind of talk!”

  
“Oh no,” Fíli stammered “I didn’t mean to – what did I say?”

  
“You don’t know?! You don’t speak the language?”

  
“Only a little, I’m still learning!“

  
“I guess you aren’t better than us then, in that way at least. We sure won’t repeat it – someone might hear and I don’t want to get punished for life!”

  
“Am I going to get in trouble?”

  
“You get into trouble?”

  
“Always,” Fíli groaned. “But I didn’t mean to this time!”

  
“It’s alright, he probably deserved it. Always screaming at us to be quiet and ordering us to go home and shut up when we’re just sitting there minding our business. And you told him off, you did! Ha!”

  
The girl whispered to them. The boys shook their heads hesitantly. She stomped her foot and the whispers grew louder.  
  
“Fine!” the boys conceded. “Hey, Fíli? We decided that…you seem alright. Well, we won’t know for sure unless we try to know you. So…you can play with us.”  
  
“I can? Thank you! Uh, is it only because I said, errr, didn’t mean to say, something nasty to that dwarf?”

  
“Nah, it’s because you aren’t a perfect little princeling who never make mistakes, like we thought. You told off an elder – by accident, as you claim – and it was funny! You can get in trouble just like us. Though, we wouldn’t screw up as badly as that.”

  
So gaining respect could be by accident, Fíli realized. Maybe there really were no set answers in these matters.

  
"Anyway, I’m Grel and this is Grem. We’re brothers.”

  
“I have a brother too!” Fíli shared with pride.

  
“Does he get himself into trouble as much as you do?” asked Grem, or Grel, Fíli hadn’t remembered yet; he could relate to that.

  
“So much more than I do.”

  
The girl giggled as if Fíli had told the most wonderful joke.

  
“Oh, and that’s our cousin, Ízka.”

  
She turned a shade of pink Fíli had never seen before. “Hi,” she uttered softly and hid behind the brothers.

  
“Hi,” Fíli waved.

  
“Alright, let's continue. We’re playing tag, so you know – oh, and by the way, you’re it!” Fíli hadn't a proper moment to bask in his newfound acceptance when the tap landed on his shoulder. He had a chase to conduct now.  
  
The next few days were split between “duty” and fun, a much needed balance, even Thorin agreed. Fíli spent most of the time with his new friends, who grew more accepting and more eager for his company. He was exceptionally talented at “steal the shield” and won every game. Instead of being envious, they asked for strategies and tips. He had their respect based on his own merits now.

  
“You’re so lucky!” They declared, finally examining the knives, highly impressed.

  
“Probably not,” he balked.

  
There were no repercussions from his mistranslation incident, and when the boys whispered to him what was actually said, Fíli was mortified. “Never repeat that within five miles of an adult,” they all agreed.

  
****

  
Sadness can creep back at unexpected moments, Kíli learned. He wanted to tell Fíli what he learned, how well he was doing with his bow, but he could not. And he could not fathom waiting any longer.

  
“What if Fíli forgot about me and decides not to return?” he asked unexpectedly during dinner. When Kíli was serious, he was solemnly so, and it caught his mother off guard.

  
“What a silly idea! You honestly think your brother would forget about you?”

  
“Maybe, if he’s too big and important now to spend time with me.”

  
“Nonsense. You will be old enough to go with them soon. But you don’t want to rush it. You will have plenty of time away from home, out in the wilds. You should enjoy your carefree days, little Kíli. They’ll be gone before you realize,” Dís sighed.

  
Kíli blinked. He blinked again, and again, but did not seem to understand.

  
“Oh, don’t worry about it, is what I’m saying! Just have fun! Did you have a good time here with me?”

  
“I did! I won’t tell our secret,” he promised, with a big wink. “I won't even tell Fíli!”

  
“My, my, won't that be difficult? There isn't much you two don't share!”

  
“It will be. But not harder than it was to be away from him.”

  
“Being apart from someone you care about doesn't diminish that love. You have a very strong bond, and a little distance won't break that.”

  
“Even after a week?”

  
“Not after 100 years.”  
  
****

  
“We have to leave already?” Once Fíli got everything sorted out, or most of it, time seemed to fly by.

  
“Already? So you enjoyed yourself?” Thorin questioned as he saddled up the ponies.

  
“Yes, I actually did. When can we come back?”

  
“Next spring.”

  
“Can Kíli come then? He would like it.”

  
“In a few years when he is more…ready. I hope this was an educational venture for you.”

  
“Oh yes, I learned a lot.” He did, but not from the long meetings he struggled to keep awake during. “Can I just have a moment? To say goodbye to my friends?”

  
“Be quick.”

  
He took off, searching the usual places, desperate to catch them before he left.

  
“Fíli! There you are! We were about to-”

  
“I have to leave,” he regrettably announced, breathless from his race to find them. “Time to go back home.”

  
“Aww, no! Do you have to?”

  
He nodded slowly. “But I'll be back soon.”

  
“Can’t you stay?”

  
“It would be nice, but I miss my brother and I bet he misses me too.”

  
“We understand. I wouldn’t want to be away from my brother too long either,” said Grel, of Grem. Fíli knew which name belonged to which sibling now, of course.

  
“Umm, so, I have a…” Fíli dug into his pockets, “I want you to have these.” He handed his little knives to the both of them

  
“Huh, what? Why would you give those away!?”

  
“They are gifts. To say thank you.”

  
“For what?”

  
“For being nice to a...an outsider. And teaching me stuff. I can’t wait to show those games to K–”

  
“But you’ve been very kind to _us_ …even after we teased you.” They looked to each other in confusion. “Why?”

  
“I’m only being myself.”

  
“You really are alright! We’re sorry for the trouble we gave you at first. It was dumb

  
“Sorry I’m late!” Ízka ran over, beaming. She had been painfully quiet in the beginning, but soon grew bolder, even volunteering to be on Fílis team each day (“I trust you can win this!”).

  
“What do you have there?” She asked, eyeing her cousins’ shiny gifts.

  
Fíli failed to think ahead and only had two knives. He frantically searched his bag for a suitable gift; mostly socks – and not clean ones.

  
“Oh no, I didn’t...let me find…I’m so sorry. I don’t have anything else to give.” He felt terrible.

  
“That’s alright,” she assured. “Maybe…maybe I can give you something instead?”

  
“What would that be?”

  
She lunged, quick as lightning, at Fíli’s cheek, gifting a light peck. If he knew how to react, he would have. She covered her face and ran, shouting, “Goodbye, Fíli!” behind her.

  
“Weird,” the brothers shook their heads.

  
Fíli wasn’t sure if he was disgusted, but he was definitely confused. Girls were certainly…different. But different wasn’t bad.  
  
****

  
“Fíliiiii!” Kíli sprinted to his brother, nearly tripping on the way. “You’re here!” His arms flailed open, but Fíli threw his around Kíli first.

  
“I'm so glad you're back!” Kíli stopped short of saying ‘I miss you’ but he had, terribly.

  
“Me too!”

  
“Tell me everything! What did you see, what did you do, what did you eat?!”

  
“It was mostly boring! I had to listen to a lot of talking. I didn’t see much on the way, or back, just a lot of trees and it was very tiring. I made some friends...” Kíli’s expression began to sour, “...but they weren’t as much fun as you!” Kíli flipped to a smile again.

  
Fíli had decided, reluctantly, that he wouldn’t tell him everything; how he was initially shunned and saddened, the kiss – some memories were for him to keep. Besides, Kíli would find that particular part repulsive and demand Fíli be quarantined.

  
“You’re just saying it was dull so I don’t feel bad! Tell me the exciting stuff!

  
“Well, I did sleep outside one night.”

  
Kíli gasped, “And you lived! There weren’t any bears?”

  
“Bears? No! Just creepy owls. Here, I have a present for you,” he had picked up a uniquely shaped stone on the way back, since he promised Kíli a souvenir.

  
“What’s it? A…rock?” He puzzled, studying it. “I love it!” Perfect for my collection.”

  
“I knew you'd like it. So…what did _you_ do while I was gone?”

  
“Oh, not too much. You wouldn’t believe what mama can do!” He covered his mouth, remembering his vow of silence. “But I won’t say – it’s a secret!”  
  
Dís finally caught up to the happy reunion. “Welcome back, my sweet little traveler.” Dís squeezed him tight, but Fíli didn’t mind much and hugged back just as hard. “Were you well-behaved? Polite?”

  
“I think so.”

  
“Still in one piece?”

  
“Of course I am!”

  
“How did he do?” Dís interrogated her brother.

  
“He was fine.” That was a nice compliment from him.

  
Kíli pulled Fíli away, greedy for his undivided attention again. “I can’t wait until I can come with you.”

  
“You didn’t have fun without me?”

  
“I did…but it wasn’t the same. I tried to do what uncle always says, to ‘find yourself and your individuali...ty…ness.’”

  
“Good, good. Me too. Have to stand on our own feet, right?”

  
“Uh huh. Very important.”

  
“Very.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
